LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. — On the morning of Saturday, May 10, volunteers will fan out across the Truckee River watershed to collect and test water samples from creeks, streams, smaller lakes, and Lake Tahoe itself to take a “snapshot” of water quality at a single moment in time for this important source of drinking water and outdoor recreation.

Keep Tahoe Blue is coordinating volunteer teams to sample sites along Lake Tahoe’s South Shore, from Meeks Bay to Zephyr Cove, and up to the headwaters of the Upper Truckee River.

Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are invited to become citizen scientists for the day, get outside, and experience beautiful and rarely visited sites. When you join, you will sample and test the water for things like dissolved oxygen, pH, nutrients, and more. Volunteers can sign up and be placed on a team, create a team of their own with family and friends, or be a team leader. Team leaders will receive training prior to the event on how to most accurately collect the data needed to guide their citizen scientists to success!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Register to be a general volunteer at keeptahoeblue.org/ssd-2025.
• Register to be a volunteer team leader at: keeptahoeblue.org/ssd-leader.

This year’s event marks 25 years of Snapshot Day, making it the longest-running citizen science event of its kind!

Since 2001, Snapshot Day partners have sampled sites from Meyers to Tahoe’s North Shore, continuing on to Truckee and through Reno, ending at Pyramid Lake. By collecting water quality data from the same sites each year, Keep Tahoe Blue and event partners can track changes in the health of Lake Tahoe and the Truckee River watershed. Snapshot Day also provides a unique opportunity for the community to connect with the environment in their own backyards through hands-on, scientific fieldwork.

Learn more about Snapshot Day and see a map of last year’s results at keeptahoeblue.org/ssd.